In captivity, they do well with a varied diet that can include :
- Pine nuts
- Pumpkin seeds
- Sunflower seeds
- Pecans
- Walnuts
- Acorns
- Hickory nuts
- Birdseed mixes
- Hamster pellets
- A variety of fresh veggies (corn, sweet potatoes, and portabello mushrooms are popular) and fruit (oranges provide calcium)
Why feeding squirrels can be dangerous?
Why feeding squirrels can be dangerous. When squirrels, whether native or not, becomes dependent on humans for food, they can lose the instinct to feed themselves and lose their fear of humans An area overpopulated with squirrels can mean an increase in diseases (like Lyme disease) that can be transmitted to pets, humans and other rodents (like more squirrels).
How much should a baby squirrel eat?
Rehydration
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons regular table sugar
- 1 quart warm water
- NOTE: This is NOT a formula that the baby should be on for an extended period of time, it is only for rehydration.
What should you feed a baby squirrel?
- Blocks should be the baby squirrel's first solid food.
- Be careful to remove any seeds, pits, skin, or strings, as these can cause choking in a baby squirrel.
- Never try to wean a baby squirrel off formula; let them wean themselves.
What kind of Formula do you feed a baby squirrel?
- When using a powdered formula, ideally, each night you would mix up the amount of formula you will need for the next day. ...
- In the morning, stir the formula and draw up enough syringes of cold formula for your first feeding of the day.
- Microwave a coffee mug of water until it is hot (but not boiling). ...
What can I feed a flying squirrel?
The best diet for flying squirrels includes fruits and fresh nuts. Always ensure you have clean and fresh water available always. You can place water in a small dish or water bottle. You can feed the squirrel with a hamster or commercial squirrel food.
How much do baby flying squirrels eat?
Diet Formula every 5 – 6 hours, no night feeding (4 feedings/day). Stop increasing amount of formula per feeding and watch for baby to begin eating adult food. Adult food and water should be available at all times and add crushed rat chow to the menu.
What can I feed a baby squirrel that I found?
Place uncooked rice or bird seed in a sock and warm in the microwave for 20-30 seconds. Wrap the sock in a soft towel and place it with the baby in an open container [e.g., a box]. Remember, do not give the baby food or water!
Can you keep a baby flying squirrel?
If cared for properly, flying squirrels can be affectionate pets. The first few weeks after bringing them home is the most important. Hand feeding and daily handling will help them bond with you. Due to flying squirrels' exotic status, they are illegal to own in 10 states.
How do I know how old a baby flying squirrel is?
If the infant has no fur yet, but does have darkened pigment to the skin, eyes and ears still closed, then it is probably 2 to 2 1/2 weeks old. "Peach fuzz" fur starting to develop, eyes still closed, ears starting to pull away from the head, the Infant is probably 3 to 3 1/2 weeks old.
Do flying squirrels eat carrots?
At least 40% of their diet should be fresh fruit to keep their digestive system working smoothly. Fresh fruits may include apples, grapes, oranges, peaches, pears or plums. Other foods that may be included in their diet are carrots, mealworms and sunflower seeds.
What can I feed a baby squirrel if I don't have formula?
At about 6 weeks old your squirrel will be ready to start nibbling on solid food. These foods may include kale, broccoli, apples, grapes, sweet potato, and hard-shelled nuts out of the shell and a good quality rodent diet. ( At Chris's Squirrels and More we offer Mazuri Rodent Block or Zupreme Primate Dry Diet.)
Do baby squirrels drink water?
In general, no, wild baby squirrels do not need to drink water. They are hydrated by their mother's milk. If you are rehabilitating a baby squirrel make sure you've got the correct know-how, they are known to appreciate Pedialyte and Ebiliac, squirrel milk replacer (ideal), or puppy milk, however.
How do you keep baby squirrels alive?
Keep lid securely on container at all times. Use plenty of bedding so the baby can get away from the heat if he gets too hot or burrow down for warmth if he gets cold. Keep household pets and small children away from the baby squirrel. Don't leave the baby outside, in a garage, or on a porch; bring him inside.
Can a flying squirrel be a pet?
The following states do not allow residents to keep flying squirrels as pets: Alabama, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, Utah (Southern Flying Squirrels are banned), Vermont and Virginia.
What do flying squirrels need to survive?
Important food sources are seeds, lichens, berries and fungi, items that are plentiful in the dense forests they inhabit. In winter, coniferous seeds are a vital food, but flying squirrels will also store nuts and lichens in tree crevices and in holes in the ground, like their non-flying relatives.
Do flying squirrels eat mealworms?
Each Squirrel will eat 5 -10 grams of the food daily. Your squirrel will also love pecans, but these are particularly fattening and should only be given as occasional treats. You may also supplement their diet with mealworms or other dried or canned insects.
Do flying squirrels stash food?
Flying squirrels store a variety of seeds. They prefer hickory nuts, and acorns (particularly white oak). They are also fond of sunflower seeds. It is believed that a flying squirrel can store several hundred acorns and other seeds in a single night, and 15,000 or more in a year.
Can flying squirrels eat sugar glider food?
Flying Squirrels ARE NOT Sugar Gliders! Never feed flying squirrels commercial diets for sugar gliders.
How do you keep flying squirrels as pets?
Be sure to keep fresh, clean water available at all times. Water can be placed in a water bottle or a small dish, and either needs to be washed each time water is refilled. Offer commercial squirrel or hamster food daily, as well as fresh fruits, nuts and seed.
Do flying squirrels eat mealworms?
Each Squirrel will eat 5 -10 grams of the food daily. Your squirrel will also love pecans, but these are particularly fattening and should only be given as occasional treats. You may also supplement their diet with mealworms or other dried or canned insects.
How to take care of a baby squirrel?
Scoop up the baby squirrel very gently in both hands. Wear gloves if at all possible, and wash your hands as soon as you can. Gently carry the squirrel home, and place it in a small container, like a shoebox or—better yet—a plastic storage container. Poke numerous holes in the lid.
How to keep a baby squirrel from dying?
2. Hold the baby upright and point the dropper toward the roof of its mouth. It’s very easy for baby squirrels—especially tiny, hairless, pink newborns—to aspirate the feeding liquid, which can lead to pneumonia and death. Keeping the squirrel upright will make aspiration less likely.
How to get rid of a squirrel in my yard?
1. Contact a wildlife rehabilitator before taking in a wild squirrel. Search online for “wildlife rehabilitators near me,” or contact your government’s environmental, wildlife, or similar agency. Help the squirrel only if advised, and only as advised.
What to do if a baby squirrel gags?
If the baby squirrel gags when you try to feed it, or shows no interest in feeding, immediately contact the wildlife rehabilitator again. Your best option is always to get the squirrel to the rehabilitator so they can care for it properly, but this is especially the case if there are feeding problems.
What to do if you find a baby squirrel?
If you find a baby squirrel that you’re sure needs care, contact a wildlife rehabilitator first to get expert guidance. Prepare a rehydrating solution or milk replacement formula as advised, and feed the squirrel slowly, carefully, ...
How to make a squirrel nest in a box?
Gently move the squirrel into the nest. Set the other half of the box (without the nest) on top of a heating pad set to low or medium.
How to tell if a baby squirrel is dehydrated?
They may advise you to check for dehydration by gently pinching the baby squirrel’s skin. If the pinched skin remains raised (or “tented”) for more than 1 second, the squirrel is likely dehydrated. If the pinched skin falls quickly, the squirrel most likely isn’t dehydrated.
What is the best feeding tool for a baby squirrel?
The best feeding tool for baby squirrel is a 1cc syringe. When feeding the baby squirrel, you will need to be very careful. Baby squirrels can suck harder than they should, meaning that more milk than normal will get down, even reaching into the lungs and eventually causing pneumonia.
How to take care of a baby squirrel?
Here are some tips on how to properly care for a baby squirrel until it is strong and big enough to return back to the wild. 1. Keep the Squirrel Warm. The first thing you need to do after finding a baby squirrel is to keep the little squirrel warm.
How long can you give a baby squirrel pedialyte?
You should give it to your baby squirrel every 15 minutes for about 2 hours. Make sure not to warm the Pedialyte more than it should as you don’t want to burn their little mouth. You can store the unused Pedialyte in the refrigerator for about 72 hours, after which you should throw it away.
What does it mean when a squirrel's urine is yellow?
Normal urine has a yellow color, while if the squirrel is dehydrated the urine will be thicker and with a honey color. If the urine is darker than normal, this means that the baby squirrel has held the urine longer than normal, meaning that you should stimulate the little squirrel more often.
What to do with an orphan squirrel?
You just don’t know what to do with this orphan little squirrel. Feeding and taking care of them can be quite a challenge. The best thing to do is to return the little squirrel to its mother. However, if that is not possible you will just need to take care of the little one until adulthood. Make sure to contact a licensed wildlife rehabilitator as ...
How to make squirrel formula?
Use only distilled water when mixing the formula milk. Mix one part of milk powder with 2 parts of distilled water. Make sure to warm the formula milk before giving it to the little squirrel. Also introduce the formula to the baby squirrel gradually. 4.
Do baby squirrels need rehydrating?
Your baby squirrel will require more rehydrating solution if the skin remains tented or goes down very slowly. On the other side, if the squirrel skin falls back down quickly, the squirrel is well hydrated and you can start formula feeding. 3.
How to stimulate a baby squirrel?
A baby squirrel less than 5 weeks old will need to be stimulated to poop and pee. Use a warm, wet cotton ball, Q-tip, the corner of a Kleenex, or your finger, and flick lightly across the genital area. Some babies may need stimulation before and after feeding.
Can squirrels drink formula?
Make sure formula is very, very warm. Baby squirrels will not drink enough formula if it is only slightly warm. ...they will starve to death! Mixing, Feeding and Storing Formula. When using a powdered formula, ideally, each night you would mix up the amount of formula you will need for the next day.
How to heat a baby flying squirrel?
Infant flying squirrels younger than 5 weeks, do not produce their own body heat, they need a heating pad, set on LOW setting. Place a bath towel, folded to make about a 1 to 1 1/2 inch thickness and put it on the heating pad. Now, place a box on top of the towel.
What is the best formula for squirrels?
Squirrels require 30% to 40% fat content in their diet! The ABSOLUTE BEST choices of formula for infant squirrels are Esbilac or GOAT ’S MILK ESBILAC. These are puppy’s milk replacers, and closely resemble the components of a flying squirrel's mother's milk.
How to tell if a squirrel is a squirrel?
#2) AGE: You can guess-timate the age of the squirrel by looking at these factors: 1 No dark pigment, skin is primarily pink in color, the infant is probably 1 to 1 & 1/2 weeks old. 2 If the infant has no fur yet, but does have darkened pigment to the skin, eyes and ears still closed, then it is probably 2 to 2 1/2 weeks old. 3 "Peach fuzz" fur starting to develop, eyes still closed, ears starting to pull away from the head, the Infant is probably 3 to 3 1/2 weeks old. 4 Tail starts to develop hairs that stand out from the "pencil" tail at about 3 1/2 to 4 weeks. 5 Eyes open at approximately 4 1/2 to 5 weeks in Flyers, Fox, and Gray squirrels. 6 The tail starts to "spread out" with fur and look more flat at about 5 weeks. 7 By 6th week the baby flyer starts to look like a miniature adult flying squirrel, and becomes more active in the evening/night hours. 8 By the 7th week, the baby will look and try to act like a small adult.
How old do squirrels start with a syringe?
If you're not familiar with syringes and cc's and ml's, most pharmacy’s will give you one or sell it to you for a few cents. In baby squirrels under 3 weeks old start with a 1cc (tuberculin or insulin) syringe, after 5 weeks of age you may graduate up to a 3 cc syringe.
What should a squirrel cage be made of?
An ideal cage for longer term housing should be made from hardware cloth.
How to stop an infant from aspirating formula?
(If the infant should aspirate, stop the feeding, hold the baby upside down for a moment, and wipe the fluid from it’s nostrils as it sneezes.) Continue the feeding once the nose is clear.
How to rehydrate an animal?
A good rehydrating solution can be made by mixing the following: 1 pint of boiled (or distilled) water - 1 teaspoon of sugar - 1/3 teaspoon of salt.
Seeds and Nuts
Flying squirrels are arboreal mammals that reside in coniferous and deciduous forests. Thus nuts are an essential part of a healthy diet for them. They feed on various nuts, from hickory nuts to pine nuts, walnuts, and acorns.
Fungi
Flying squirrels feed on fungi, lichens, and mushrooms. These gliding squirrels inhabit forests. Thus, fungi, mushrooms, lichens, and even truffles are often essential for their diet. The fungi are spread out of the forest floor in a dense web.
Fruits and Vegetables
Flying squirrel species have the ability to adjust their diet according to seasons and availability. During summer, their diet includes more fruits like strawberries and vegetables. The flying squirrel diet consists of persimmons and wild grapes as the weather turns warmer.
Tree Sap, Flowers, and Buds
Flying squirrels also hop on to tree sap and other fluids from plants. While they are omnivores, they can survive on a plant-based diet, including flowers and buds. However, they need to supplement their diet with various animal-based foods to keep a healthy balance.
Insects, Eggs, and Birds
Even though northern flying squirrels eat insects, eggs, birds, and nestlings, the southern species are more inclined towards an animal-based diet. Insects prove to be an excellent way to provide squirrels in captivity with protein, calcium, and Vitamin D3. You can feed them mealworms, crickets, and moths.
Small Animals and Carrion
Flying squirrels do not get a lot of sunlight since they are nocturnal mammals. Small animals like other rodents found in the forest and carrion provide these squirrel species with calcium as they can gnaw on bones. A southern flying squirrel is more fond of such a diet.
Formulated Pellets
You can feed your flying squirrel with specially formulated pellets to ensure a balanced diet in captivity. However, it is prudent to add some nuts, seeds, fruits, and insects to the mix to supply all the nutritional essentials.
